Le Diamant Brut: Pale Young Gentlemen & Shapes Have Fangs

Image from MySpace

What’s the Deal: Pale Young Gentlemen are exactly what the name suggests. They burst forth and beam with songs like “The Crook of My Good Arm” in all of its indie rock-meets-eerie symphony glory. Then, of course, there are songs like “Kettle Drum” during which the 10-piece plus Wisconsin group brings in the Xylophone and flute to flirt in the fields with the already existing cello and violin. They will all be met later by the viola, piano, bells, harp and French horn among the usual rock suspects. PYG has been described as indie gypsy rock, but a tag like that would be doing them a disservice. It’s more like somber acoustic sounds mixed with the music of an older Europe and sweeping symphonic gestures.

The squeaks and groans of the strings, the slumberland chimes of the bells, the dreary and astral vocals, and the acoustic strumming all steer the listener directly toward a fantastical world where all actions are dramatic, bizarre and recorded in black and white. The imagery-laden tracks off their recently released full-length, Black Forest (tra la la), are primed for the soundtrack of either a period piece or some kind of contemporary, quirky indie film gem. This is the sort of music that’s perfect for getting lost in your own imagination as you stare out of a window at rolling hills or a gloomy cityscape. 

Something Interesting: They trim down to a five-or-so unit for touring purposes, with each of them contributing several different instruments to the production. They do a version of M.I.A.’s Paper Planes that is no doubt stirring.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Clap Your Hands” and “There is a Place”

Pale Young Gentlemen Official
Pale Young Gentlemen MySpace

Image by Sandy Carson courtesy of MySpace

What’s the Deal: If they were a shape, it definitely wouldn’t be a square, maybe a trapezoid or a parallelogram. But, those are probably too complicated. Austin’s Shapes Have Fangs have a 60’s guitar pop sound that’s a little dirty around the edges and complete with timeless hooks that might sound familiar to anyone who’s up on their vintage rock and roll. The slightly scratchy production on recordings of the group’s gritty guitar jangles and solos, harmonious background vocals, and occasional spry piano works because it’s not overblown and it sounds like a party you don’t want to be missing.

“I Better Be Leavin” is one of those great throwbacks where the title is the chorus and it’s shouted in the background between hands clapping, energetic fingers stamping on the keys and cymbals shaking. It’s a number created for putting the groove in your feet and the devil in your hips, the kind of tune the parents just didn’t get and probably did everything in their power to keep their children from being intoxicated by.  

Something Interesting: You can check them out during free week with Cavedweller at Club DeVille on January 10th.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “This Mess I’m In” and “Dumb Luck”

Shapes Have Fangs MySpace